[Coco] Coco Flex

[Bob Devries]

Ron,
more on the FLEX format:

Looking at the file size ($26400 / 156672 Dec), it seems to me that this 
format is only 34 tracks of 18 sectors of 256 bytes. What we need to create 
a real disk from that image is a way to either (a) format track 0 as single 
density, and/or (b) start copying the image file starting at track 1.

I'm not sure if OmniFlop can handle that.

Does anyone know of any other hardware that uses this odd format (besides 
other flavours of OS-9)?

--
Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia

Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
the capacity to be his spokesman,
so that I know how to help the weary.

website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Bihler" <rbihler at msn.com>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 10:53 AM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Coco Flex


> You are on track as it may be, Track O was single sided and might have 
> been single density as well.  This allowed the computer to read the disk 
> and then know what format the rest of the disk was formated in. I guess 
> what really is different between the formats is the disk layout.  You are 
> bringing up a good point and it should be possible to take the dsk images 
> and just plop them on a disk.  I am not sure what the trk 0 thing will do.
> Do you know of a good util to write the dsk images to floppy?  I am 
> tempted to try Cocodisk !
>
> Thanks
> Ron
>
> Bob Devries wrote:
>> Ron,
>>
>> As far as I know Coco FLEX used the Colour Computer disk format (35 
>> tracks, 18 SPT, 1 side), so if you're talking about thos images, then yes 
>> they should be able to be copied to real disks. However, I don't know 
>> what format the other computers, such as the SWPTE used.
>>
>> Some OS's in that era used single density for either track 0 or all 
>> tracks, and the number of SPT may vary also.
>>
>> -- 
>> Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia
>>
>> Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
>> the capacity to be his spokesman,
>> so that I know how to help the weary.
>>
>> website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
>> my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Bihler" <rbihler at msn.com>
>> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
>> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 10:15 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Coco Flex
>>
>>
>>> Thanks Bob.
>>> Humm, I only have a Coco 3 so that option is out.  It was worth a try :)
>>>
>>> Do you know if the dsk images can be coped to a real disk?  There must 
>>> be a utility that create Flex diskettes ?
>>>
>>>
>>> Ron
>>>
>>> Bob Devries wrote:
>>>> Ron,
>>>>
>>>> I have the FLEX disks here, and I believe I have images too.
>>>> One problem I found was that FLEX does not run on a Coco3. I've also 
>>>> tried without success to run the image in an emulator, but even in the 
>>>> MESS coco2 emulator, it hangs at the time & date input prompt. I have 
>>>> not tried Jeff Vavasour's coco2 emulator.
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia
>>>>
>>>> Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
>>>> the capacity to be his spokesman,
>>>> so that I know how to help the weary.
>>>>
>>>> website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
>>>> my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Bihler" <rbihler at msn.com>
>>>> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
>>>> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 9:01 AM
>>>> Subject: [Coco] Coco Flex
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I am working on an Old SWTPC 6809 S09 system running Flex (Hopefully)
>>>>>
>>>>> The system was working, but I didn't get the floppy drives and can't 
>>>>> seem to get the drives I have to read the diskettes.  Not sure what 
>>>>> the issue is, good possibility it's something not set correctly. 
>>>>> However I had this thought that the Coco can run a version of flex and 
>>>>> might be able to verify the diskettes or even copy a new set. Back to 
>>>>> the same issue, how to get Flex disk.  I am assuming the Boot disk is 
>>>>> RSDOS, but it would need to load Flex format disks.
>>>>> Anyway my real goal is to find a way to read/write a flex diskette.  I 
>>>>> want to see if I can even read the boot disk's I have.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am hoping to make the disk on a PC or linux would be fine as well. 
>>>>> Will need to pull out the L-Box.
>>>>> Anyone have any experience running Flex and the floppy system, know 
>>>>> more about it>?
>>>>>
>>>>> Any assistance or suggestions are welcomed.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ron
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> Coco mailing list
>>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>>>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
>
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